Children&#39;s vehicular toy



P 1961 D. M. SANDELL 2,998,979

' CHILDREN'S VEHICULAR TOY Filed Oct. 1, 1959 33c Arm/av r;

United States Patent 2,998,979 CHILDRENS VEHICULAR TOY Donald M.Sandell, 2063 McMenemy, St. Paul, Minn.

Filed Oct. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 843,818. 8 Claims. (Cl; 280-87 .05)

readily broken down and set up for use for convenience V in storage,transportation and handling.

Still another object is a vehicular toyof the ,class described which issufficiently simple in design and operation to permit even smallchildren to set up and break down said vehicular, toy.

Still another object is a collapsible vehicular toy of the classdescribed which sufiiciently incorporates the visible characteristicelements of a truck or automobile to permit children operating the sameto readily imagine that they are driving or using a vehicle'comparableto thereal power driven vehicles upon which they are modeled.

A further object is an ambulatory collapsible vehicular toy of theclass, described which is adapted to seat a passenger therewithin and tobe propelled by the movements of the legs of said passenger or by thepushing thereof by a second person outside said vehicle.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection withaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicular toy of my invention infully set up condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicular toy of my invention inpartially collapsed condition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicular toy of my invention incompletely collapsed folded condition;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical section as taken along the line 5-5 ofFIG. 4; a a

7 FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4;and

FIG. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 5.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings for a more detaileddescription of a preferred embodiment of my invention. The vehicular toyof my invention comprises a pair of side wall frames which include apair of horizontally disposed elongate frame or supporting members 10, apair of vertically disposed rear corner posts or standards 11 mountedatop the frame members 10, and a pair of elongate front corner members12 Which are inclined from the vertical and disposed diagonally to therear as best seen in FIG. 4 to better depict or represent the bodydesign of a conventional milk truck which th particular form of myinvention illustrated is intended to simulate.

The pair of wall frames defined by the aforementioned frame members 10,11 and 12 have paneling 13 overlying said frames and securely fixedtheretoto provide the sides of the vehicle. Each of these panels 'in'the form of the paneling 13 may also be provided with a legend or lindicia such as the word Milk as shown in the accompanying drawings tomore clearly. indicate the type of truck or vehicle which is intended tobe represented by the toy of my invention and to render the same morerealistic to the user.

Each of the sides 13 is movably supported on a pair of wheels whichinclude the fixedly mounted rear wheels 15 which are mounted on hangermembers 16 which in turn are mounted on the frame by means of suitablemounting members or brackets 17. The forward end of the side walls 13are provided:.with caster or'swivel wheels 18 which are mounted on theinside of the side panels by means of suitable mounting members 19. .Thelower marginal edges of the side walls 13 are provided with suitablecutout portions 20 and 21 for receiving and partially enclosing the rearand front wheels respectively and to give greater freedom of movementlaterally to the caster wheels 18." I

The sidewalls 13 are hingedly and foldably interconnectedfor respectivelateral expanding and contracting movement by means of a pair of frontpanels 22 and by a pair of similar back panels 23. The front panels 22and back panels 23 are each provided with horizontally disposed bracingmembers 24 disposed adjacent the top and bottom marginal edges of eachof said panels 22 and 23. The front and back panels 22, and 23 arehingedly connected to their respective front and back corner postmembers 12 and 11 respectively by means of suitable hinge elements 25which permit the panels 22 and 23 to swing inwardly against theirrespective adjacent side panels 13. The panels 22 and the panels 23 arehingedly connected along their adjacent inner marginal edges by means ofsuitable hinge elements 26 which permit the panels to be folded inwardlyso that the outer faces thereofoverlie and are opposed to one anotherwhen in collapsed condition.

The outer faces of the front panels 22 are provided with artisticindicia representing headlights as at 27 and grill work 28 to moreaccurately depict, represent and simulate a real truck. The front andback panels 22 and 23 respectively are adapted to enclose only the lowerportion of the body of the vehicle leaving the cutouts or openings 29and 30 providing a front window and back window respectively. The heightof the openings 29 and 30 measured between the roof and the top marginaledge of the panels 22 and 23 is preferably equal to or greater than theWidth of the individual roof panels 31 herein after to be described toprevent the roof panels from. v

interfering with the front panels 22 and back panels 23 when incollapsed, folded condition. The tops of the side walls 13 are foldablyor collapsibly interconnected in much the same fashion as the front andback marginal edges by means of a pair of roofpanels 31 which aremounted on and supported by horizontally disposed bracing members 32disposed adjacent the frame and back marginal edges of each of thepanels, the panels 31 being hingedly mounted on the front and backcorner posts by means of hinge elements 33 for inwardly swingingmovement of said panels 31 against the sides 13, the adjacent opposinginner marginal edges of the roof panels 31 being hingedly interconnectedby suitablehinge elements 34 for hinged or swinging movementtherebetween to permit the roof panels to be collapsed or foldedinwardly so that in collapsed position the outer faces thereof aredisposed in opposition to one another as best seen in FIG. 3.

. The roof panels '31 and thefrontand back panels 22 and 23 respectivelyare provided with'suitable latch elements 35 which are easily operatedand which, in the form shown, comprise a pivotally mounted'arm or levermember 36 pivotally mounted on one of the adjacent Patented Sept. 5,1961' panels and preferably the bracing members therefore and a femalearm receiving bracket 37 mounted on the adjacent brace to detachably fixthe collapsible or foldable panels in rigid unfolded condition duringuse Thus, the operation of the latch elements are extremely simple andcapable of being operated by even a small child, the arms 36 beingsimply swung into receiving engagement with the brackets 37 to .lock thepanels in place during use and the arms are simply swung out ofengagement with the bracket '37 to enable the panels to be collapsedinto a completely folded condition as shown in FIG. 3.

The vehicle is also provided with a bottom panel or seat 38 which ishingedly connected to one of the sides by means of suitable hingeelements 39 which are preferably mounted on one of the horizontal sideframe members 10, to permit the bottom panel 38 to be swung upwardlyagainst the side panel on which it is hingedly mounted to place thevehicle in collapsed or folded condition. When unfolded, the side of theseat member 38 opposite the hinged side rests on the opposing verticalframe member to provide a solid support for the flooring 38 and providea generally rigid construction for the vehicle. The seat member'38 hasan enlarged rear seat portion 38a which may provide a seat for the childusing the vehicle and may also serve as a small seat for another childas a passenger carried by said vehicle. The seat member 38 is alsoprovided with a pair of enlarged cutout portions 40 for receiving thelegs of the child using the vehicle to permit the child to propel thesame, said cutouts 40 defining a narrow longitudinally disposed centerstrip 38!) which is connected to a narrow transversely disposed frontstrip 380 which front strip 380 may serve as a foot rest for the userparticularly when the vehicle is being pushed outwardly by anotherparty.

An artificial control panel or dash is provided inwardly of the vehicleby means of a pair of corresponding dash panels 41 which in mountedcondition are disposed diagonally between the front panels 22 and theseat member 38 as best seen in FIG. 4, said panels 41 being hingedlyconnected individually to the inner marginal edges of the front strip38c by hinge elements 45, said panels 41 being interconnected forsimultaneous movement by means of a connecting rod 42 extendingtherebetween. The inner opposed marginal edges of the panels 41 eachsupport a half of a steering wheel 43 which is disposed perpendicularlythereto and presented rearwardly at approximately the same angle to aperson seated in the vehicle in driving position as a real steeringwheel would be on a real automobile or truck.

The dash panels are detachably fixed in position during use byengagement with anoifset portion 44 provided on the bottom side of thebracing 24 which permits the upper edges of the panels 41 to be pressedthereagainst moving the same and the front panels supporting sameoutwardly a slight distance until the upper edges of the panels 41 areseated in the offset recess provided by the brace 24 to lock the samethereagainst. To disengage the same, a slight forward pressure is simplyapplied to the front panel 22 together with a simultaneous upward pullon the dash panels 41 to disengage them from the offset and brace 24 andpermit the same to be swung or folded against the flooring 38 in suchfashion that the dash panels 41 fit into the recesses provided by thecutouts 40 to present a substantially flush condition therewith, thedash panels 41 then being folded up against the side panel 13 bysimultaneous lifting thereof with the seat member 38 to permit theentire vehicle to be collapsed to as narrow a thickness as possible. Thedash panels 41 are prevented from falling through the cutouts 40 by therod 42 which rests on the center strip 38!: and supports the panels 41thereby.

From the foregoing description the operation of the vehicular toy of myinvention is obvious. To unfold or collapse the vehicle from the set upcondition as shown in FIG. 1, the latch elements 35 provided on thefront, back and roof are simply disengaged, the dash panel is disengagedfrom bracing members 24 and folded into the cutout portions of theflooring 38 and the entire floor together with the dash panel is raisedagainst the inner face of one of .theside panels 13, the front and backpanels are folded inwardly and the roof is folded downwardly therebycausing the side panels 13 to be drawn together to form the compactnarrow package or unit best illustrated in FIG. 3 the front, back, roof,seat and dash being disposed or nested between said side walls 13 inside by side relationship therewith when the vehicle is completelycollapsed. To set .up or unfold the vehicle from the position shown inFIG. 3, the reverse operation previously described is performed and neednot be repeated again.

The children enter the vehicle by means of the door cutouts 14 and mayseat themselves on the back seat portion 38a or the center strip 38bwith their legs extending downwardly through the cutout 40 to propel thevehicle themselves or they may rest their feet on the center strip 380for comfort if they are to be pushed bya person on the outside. Thechildren may grasp the steering wheel 43 to pretend 'to be steering thevehicle and the caster wheels 18 permit the front end of the vehicle tobe turned from side to side by suitable directional or turning movementof the vehicle in that direction. The child, if he desires, may alsostand in the vehicle and walk the vehicle around and he may also carry apassenger therein who-may sit on the rear portion of the back seat 38a.

From the foregoing, the advantages of my invention are readily apparent.It can be seen that a'veh'icular toy such as the one herein describedwould be exceedingly attractive to children and present them with hoursof entertainment and amusement. In addition, the same provides goodexercise for the children and is especially suitable for and attractiveto children who have recently learned to walk and also may be used tostrengthen the childs legs and enable him to learn to walk by providinga mobile supporting structure to prevent his falling while learning towalk.

In addition, it can be seen that a device such as the one described maybe readily and inexpensively made of strong light-weight material andassembled in easy fashion to present an inexpensive vehicular toy. Thecollapsible or foldable feature of the vehicle is also especiallyattractive since it permits the same to be readily collapsed andtransported from place to place in an automobile or the like and alsopermits the same to be collapsed into a small compact package forstorage in the home when not in use, which is a real advantage to thosehomes in which storage space is a real problem and which are probablyalready over-crowded with other toys which are not collapsible andrequire a great deal of storage space. The collapsible feature is alsovery attractive in the warehousing of the toy prior to the sale thereofand is also very attractive from a shipment point of view since thecompact nature of the package would materially reduce the cost ofshipping such a vehicle by standard forms of commercial transportation.And finally, the simulated appearance, controls, and movements of a realpower driven vehicle is particularly attractive to children who normallyget great pleasure in imitating the actions of adults, such as thedriving of a vehicle.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various partswithout departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A mobile vehicular toy comprising an upstanding wall structuredefining a cab for seating a person therein, said wall structureincluding opposing side walls collapsibly interconnected by a front wallmember for relative contracting movement between said side walls intocollapsed side-by-side relationship, a seat member hingedly connected toone of said side walls adjacent the lower end thereof and adapted forfolding against said side wall in side-by-side relation therewith incollapsed condition, and a dash panel hingedly mounted on said seatmember and extending forwardly and upwardly between said seat and saidfront wall member and adapted for swinging movement against said seatmember in folded condition, said front wall member and said side Wallmembers defining an opening facing in the normal direction of travelproviding a window for said vehicle.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said dash panel isprovided with a generally upwardly extending steering wheel member.

3. A mobile vehicular toy for children comprising a body structurehaving a configuration simulating that of a real power driven vehicleand including a. pair of op posing side walls interconnected by opposingfront and back wall members and a roof member for relative collapsinglateral movement of said side walls into substantially side-by-sidefolded relationship, said front, back and roof members comprising a pairof panel members hingedly connected at their outer ends to said sidewalls for inward swinging movement thereagainst and hingedly connectedat their inner ends to each other for relative inward swinging movementtowards each other to place their outer faces in opposed side-by-siderelationship in collapsed condition, the upper marginal edges of saidfront and back wall members and said roof member defining front aud backwindow openings respectively in said body structure, said openingshaving a height at least as great as the width of the individual roofpanels, a cutout portion in at least one of the side walls providing adoor opening for the entrance and exit of the child to the interior ofsaid vehicle, a seat member hingedly connected to one of said side wallsand extending between said side walls, said seat member having a pair ofcutout portions generally aligned with said door opening for receivingthe legs of a child located within the vehicle for propelling same, andmeans for maintaining said front, back and roof members. in rigidunfolded relationship to prevent collapsing of said body structureduring use.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 including a pair of interconnectedpanel members providing a dash unit diagonally and bracingly disposedbetween said seat member and said front wall member, said panel membersbeing hingedly mounted on said seat member adjacent the leading marginaledge of said cutout portions for swinging movement of said panelstowards said seat member about a transverse axis of said vehicle, saidpanels being disposed within said cutout portions in collapsed foldedcondition, said panels having mounted thereon a generally upwardlyextending steering wheel unit.

5. A mobile vehicular toy for children comprising a body structureincluding a pair of opposing side wall members interconnected byopposing front and back wall members and a roof member, said front, backand roof members being hingedly connected to said side walls andfoldable intermediate said side walls for inward folding movementspermitting lateral contractive movement of said side walls intosubstantially side-by-side relationship with the folded front, back androof members disposed therebetween, and a seat member hingedly connectedto one of said side walls adjacent the lower edge thereof and extendingbetween said side walls and adapted for folding against said one sidewall in collapsed condition, said Seat member defining openings forreceiving the legs of a child seated thereon to propel said vehicle, andwherein an opening is provided intermediate said front wall and the roofdefining a window facing in the normal direction of travel.

6. A mobile vehicular toy for children comprising a body structureincluding a pair of opposing side wall members interconnected byopposing front and back wall members and a roof member, said front, backand roof members being hingedly connected to said side walls andfoldable intermediate said side walls for inward folding movementspermitting lateral contractive movement of said side walls intosubstantially side-by-side relationship with the folded front, back androof members disposed therebetween, and a seat member hingedly connectedto one of said side walls adjacent the lower edge thereof and extendingbetween said side walls and adapted for folding against said one sidewall in collapsed condition, said seat member defining openings forreceiving the legs of a child seated thereon to propel said vehicle, andwherein the vehicle has mounted thereon and forwardly thereof a pair oflaterally spaced apart caster wheels.

7. A mobile vehicular toy for children comprising a body structureincluding a pair of opposing side wall members interconnected byopposing front and back wall members and a roof member, said front, backand roof members being hingedly connected tosaid side walls and foldableintermediate said side walls for inward folding movements permittinglateral contractive movement of said side walls into substantiallyside-by-side relationship with the folded front, back and roof membersdisposed therebetween, and a seat member hingedly connected to one ofsaid side walls adjacent the lower edge thereof and extending betweensaid side walls and adapted for folding against said one side wall incollapsed condition, said seat member defining openings for receivingthe legs of a child seated thereon to propel said vehicle, said legopenings comprising opposed cutout portions and said seat memberadjacent the front marginal edge thereof, and a dash panel comprising apair of interconnected sections hingedly mounted on said seat memberadjacent said front marginal edge for swinging movement about atransverse axis of said vehicle, said panel extending diagonallyupwardly between said seat member and said frontwall and bracinglyengaged therewith, each of said sections being adapted for dispositionin one of each of i said cutout portions in collapsed folded condition.

8. A mobile vehicular toy for children comprising a body structureincluding a pair of opposing side wall members interconnected byopposing front and back wall members and a roof member, said front, backand roof members being hingedly connected to said side walls andfoldable intermediate said side walls for inward folding movementspermitting lateral contractive movement of said side walls intosubstantially side-by-side relationship with the folded front, back androof members disposed therebetween, and a seat member hingedly connectedto one of said side walls adjacent the lower edge thereof and extendingbetween said side walls and adapted for folding against said one sidewall in collapsed condition, said seat member defining openings forreceiving the legs of a child seated thereon to propel said vehicle, anda steering wheel member extending upwardly from said dash panel, saidmember consisting of two juxtaposed independent half wheels mounted onsaid panels adjacent the inner marginal edges thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,449,255 Abrahams Mar. 20, 1923 1,675,375 Netschert July 3, 19282,625,982 Bulmash Jan. 20, 1953 2,866,495 Diehl Dec. 30, 1958 2,926,724Rittenberg Mar. 1, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 607,260 Great Britain Aug. 27,1923

